Sudan: More than 200 killed as paramilitaries raid Darfur refugee camps

Sudanese paramilitary forces have killed more than 200 civilians in a series of raids on camps for displaced people and the surrounding areas near El Fasher — the last major city in the Darfur region still under the control of the Sudanese army.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) massacred at least 56 residents following two days of assaults on Um Kadadah, a town captured en route to El Fasher.

This wave of violence marks the worst bloodshed in Darfur since the outbreak of civil conflict between the army and paramilitary forces more than two years ago.

According to the United Nations, killings have occurred in two major displacement camps, including Zamzam, where the entire medical team of Relief International — the only organisation still operating a clinic — was reportedly killed. RSF troops are believed to have begun torching structures in Zamzam on Sunday, claiming they were searching for Sudanese government fighters hiding among civilians.

The United States has condemned both sides in the conflict, accusing the RSF of genocide in Darfur and the Sudanese army of attacking civilians.

The fighting has effectively split Sudan in two, with the army controlling the north and east, and the RSF dominating much of Darfur and parts of the south.

The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, displaced over 12 million people, and created what the International Rescue Committee has described as “the largest humanitarian crisis ever recorded”.

The recent massacres have increased pressure on the UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, to issue a decisive response on the protection of civilians when he convenes a ministerial summit on Sudan in London on Tuesday.

The latest violence has centred on the Zamzam camp, which — along with nearby Abu Shouk camp — is home to around 700,000 people displaced by the war. Aid agencies report that shelters, markets, and healthcare facilities have been destroyed in the attacks.

The RSF claimed the camp was being used as a base by so-called “mercenary factions”. However, humanitarian organisations condemned the assault as a deliberate attack on vulnerable civilians — including women, children, and the elderly — who are already suffering from famine.

The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), a Darfuri militia aligned with the national army, has been engaged in fighting the RSF near al-Fashir — about 15 km (9.3 miles) from Zamzam — with the support of other local armed groups.

Tens of thousands of camp residents have fled to al-Fashir on foot, overwhelming local shelters. Many are now sleeping outdoors without access to food, water, or medicine, according to SLA spokesperson El-Sadiq Ali El-Nour.

The city — the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur province — came under intense shelling and RSF ground assaults on Sunday, the SLA reported. It has since called on Sudan’s armed forces and allied groups for urgent military support.

The Sudanese army maintains a base with several thousand troops in al-Fashir.

“The leadership of the armed forces must act swiftly to save the lives of approximately 1.5 million people in al-Fashir,” the SLA said in a statement. “Darfur must not fight alone.”

The RSF has denied targeting civilians and, on Saturday, accused its opponents of fabricating media reports with actors and staged scenes to incriminate them.

On Sunday, the RSF claimed it had facilitated voluntary evacuations for families fleeing al-Fashir and nearby camps, and said it welcomed the presence of humanitarian agencies to respond to the worsening conditions.

Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023, triggered by a power struggle between the army and the RSF, crushing hopes for a transition to civilian governance.

The conflict has since displaced millions and devastated entire regions, particularly Darfur, where the RSF is now fighting to hold its strongholds against the army’s advances from Khartoum.